Looking back at the nearly forgotten legacy of the Occidental Gospel Choir.
The Gospel of TV
Regarding “Precious Memories” (Summer 2024): I sang in the Occidental Gospel Choir as a student. Later, when I was choral director at Agoura High School, we were one of three choirs attending a festival invited to give a live performance at Walt Disney Hall with conductor Grant Gershon. We performed two selections: “The Battle of Jericho” by Moses Hogan and “Dirait-on” by Morten Lauridsen. We traveled to many festivals throughout the United States and I made a point to include a different gospel tune each year. Many of the other choral directors asked me if I performed gospel music at my church, and I told them yes—but it was singing with the gospel choir at TV that allowed my choir, with no Black children, to sing gospel music. The voice has no limits to what style of music it can perform.
John Mosley ’78
Reseda
